T txttttttl



(N0 Model.)

G. J. FORREY.

CAR COUPLING.

No. 601,643. PatentedApr;5,189a.

n plrlillml= 19 WNW!!! 1f 'ma Numns'vncns w. Fumo-inno.. wAsNmrou. oA c.

UNITED STATES PATENT @Finca GEORGE .IONNATIIAN FORREY, OF CARLISLE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO S. L. DIVEN, OF SAME PLACE.

oAR-couPLlN'c.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 601,643, dated April 5, 1898.

Application filed December 29, 1896. Serial No. 617,343. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, GEORGE J ONNATHAN FORREY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Carlisle, in the county of Cumberland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Car-Coupling, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in car-couplings.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of car-couplin gs and to provide a simple, strong, and durable one which will be capable of couplingautomatically and which may be readily uncou pled from the tops or sides of cars.A

A further object of the invention is to provide a car-coupling having a pivoted knuckle to cushion the same, so that the force of the blow incident to two cars coming together for coupling will be received by the draw-bars instead of by theknuckles, and to permit the knuckles to have sufficient longitudinal movement or play to enable the cars of a train to be successively started.

Another object of the invention is to enable the car-coupling to uncouple automatically in event of the'draw-head becoming disconnected from the draft mechanism .and

' thereby prevent the draw-head from falling upon the track and wrecking cars.

The invention consists in the construction y and novel combinationy and arrangement of .parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of a car coupling constructed in accordance` Fig. 2 is a side elevationwith this invention. of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the draw-head. Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views illustrating the construction of the headed plug of the transverse spring.

and receiving an arm or shank 4 of a knuckle 5. The knuckle 5 interlocks with a corresponding knuckle similar to the pivoted knuckle of a Janney car-coupling; but the shank or arm 4 is pivoted at its rear end centrally of the draw-head by a vertical pin 6, which passes through a perforation of the shank 4 and which is arranged in upper and lower horizontal slots 7 of the top and bottom of the draw-head. By this construction the car-coupling has a central draft, the pin being located in alinemcnt with the center of the draw-bar 8.

The strain on the knuckles when ca rs are in motion tends to hold them firmly closed, and they are positively held in a locked position by a transverse spring 9, which is adapt-4 ed to yield to permit the knuckle to swing outward laterally of the draw-head in automatic coupling. As soon as the knuckles pass each other the transverse springs 9 swing them inward and maintain them securely interlocked.

The arm or shank 4 of the knuckle has its rear edge curved and provided with a rearwardly-eXtending lug 10, which is arranged in a recess 1l of a spring-actuated block 12. The block l2 is slidingly mounted in the drawbar 8, which is hollow, and it is provided with a horizontal rod or pin l3,.which is disposed longitudinally of the draw-bar and guided in a perforation of a flange or web 14. A spiral spring l5 is disposed on the rod or pin and interposed between the web or flange 14 and the inner end of the block, and it is adapted to cushion the knuckle. The longitudinal spring holds the knuckle normally extended with the pin 6 at the outer ends of the slots 7, but in the accompanying drawings the spring l5 is shown partially compressed with the pin 6 at the inner ends of the slots 7. The recess ll, whichis arranged at the front end of the spring-actuated block l2, forms shoulders or stops which limit the swing of the pivoted knuckle, and as the lug 10 is located a short distance from the pivot-pin 6 of the arm and the engaging portion thereof is situated such a distance in advance of the pin it will be apparent that only a comparatively short recess is necessary to permit the engaging portion of the knuckle to swing into and IOO out of engagement with a corresponding knuckle.

The transverse spring which holds the knuckle in proper position has its outer end engaging a projection 16 of the adjacent wall of the draw-head, and its other end receives a plug 17 and is arranged Within a recess 18 of the adjacent side of the shank of the knuckle. The plug 17 is provided with a circular head 19, which engages a rib 2O of the knuckle. The rib is rounded and the circular head of the plug is provided with a curved groove 21 to conform to the configuration of the rib.

A chain 22, which is connected with the knuckle at the outer side thereof, is designed to extend to the car on which the draw-head is mounted and to be connected with an operating-lever for drawing the chain inward or rearward to swing the knuckle laterally of the draw-head to effect the operation of uncoupling, and the chain is designed to be of such length that the knuckle will be automatically swung laterally and uncoupled should the draw-bar become accidentally disconnected from the draft mechanism. By this construction a draw-head is prevented from being pulled out ofa car and falling upon the track, and wrecks incident to such obstructions are avoided.

The pin 6 is designed to be secured to the draw-head by a suitable key passing through its lower end, and a knuckle is designed to be provided with the usual link-opening and coupling-pin perforation to enable the drawhead to be connected with the ordinary pinand-link draw-head.

It vwill be seen that the car-coupling is simple and comparatively inexpensive in construction, that it is positive and reliable and automatic in its operation, and that it is capable of coupling Without necessitating persons going between cars and of automatically uncoupling should the draw-bar become loose.

It will also be apparent that the knuckle has a central draft and is cushioned, and the blows incident to two cars coming together for coupling is received by the draw-heads and not delivered upon the knuckles,and that the knuckles have sufcient play to permit cars to be successively started.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacricing any of the advantages of the invention.

What I claim is- 1. In a car-coupling, the combination of a draw-head, a knuckle having an arm pivoted centrally of the draw-head, and a spring-actuated block engaging the arm of the knuckle to cushion the same and limiting the pivotal movement thereof,substantially as described.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination of a draw-head, a knuckle pi voted centrally of the draw-head and provided with a rearwardlyextending lug, andy a spring-actuated block having a recess receiving the lug and forming opposite shoulders to limit the swing of the knuckle, substantially as described.

3. In a car-coupling, the combination of a draw-head provided at its top and bottom with centrally-arranged longitudinal slots, a knuckle provided with an arm having a perforation, a knuckle-pin arranged in said slots and passing through the perforation of the knuckle, a spring-actuated block engaging the arm of the knuckle to cushion the latter and limiting the swing thereof, and a transverse spring engaging the knuckle, substantially as described.

4. In a car-coupling, the combination of a draw-head, a knuckle pivoted centrally of the draw-head and provided at its outer side with a recess, a rib arranged in the recess, a projection mounted on the draw-head opposite the recess, a transverse spiral spring having its outer end mounted on the projection, and a plug arranged in the inner end of the spiral spring and having a grooved head to engage the said rib, substantially as described.

5. In a car-coupling, the combination of a' draw-head, a knuckle having its arm pivoted centrally of the draw-head and capable of a limited movement longitudinally of the same, a longitudinal spring for cushioning the knuckle, a transverse spring engaging the latter, and means for connecting the knuckle with a car, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE JONNATHAN FORREY. Witnesses:

WM.' W. FLETCHER, J. P. BRINDLE.

IOO 

